In 1948 Israel officially became an independent nation in the land that was once called Palestine. The next day, the first Arab-Israeli war started. Egypt, Transjordan (called Jordan), Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq all were at war with Israel. 700,000 Palestinian left their homes and became refugees in neighboring Arab nations.

Some of the Palestinian refugees ended up living in camps. The camps were crowded places that were not at all like their homes. Organizations were formed with the hopes of fighting Israel, liberating the people of Palestine and creating a homeland once again. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) is one of those groups.

The leader of the PLO is a man named Yasir Arafat. His group has been and remains in a conflict with Israel. They want a Palestinian homeland once again. They also want to put an end to Israel's expansion.

What expansion? The area controlled by Israel has become larger because of wars. In June of 1967 another war was fought between Israel and some Arab nations. The war has become known as the Six Day War. By the end of this conflict Israel had control of the Gaza Strip (which was part of Egypt), Golan Heights (which was once a territory of Syria) and The West Bank (which was once a part of Jordan).

Many wars, terrorist activities, attacks and counterattacks have occurred since 1948. Bombings, wars, and terrorist activities have plagued this region that is considered by many to be the Holy Land.